FanSided MMA Awards: Deiveson Figueiredo named Most Dominant Champ

Deiveson Figueiredo is named 2020 most dominant champion after four title fights in one year time, including two in one month’s time.

In a year that was like no other many fighters sat out the whole time, while there were others who were able to shine. Some fighters fought four or even five times during the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. Making the most out of this time is what can set fighters and champions apart from others and one champion who certainly made the most of his 2020 was Deiveson Figueiredo.

It all began back in February when Figueiredo challenged Joseph Benavidez for the vacant UFC flyweight title. Figueiredo won that fight in extraordinary fashion with a second-round TKO, but since he had missed weight leading up to the bout Figueiredo was ineligible for the title. Not to be discouraged, Figueiredo went back to work and was set up with another shot at the title and Benavidez five months later.

The rematch was set for July during the height of the pandemic. The location was Fight Island and getting there proved quite the task for Figueiredo. The week before the fight Figueiredo tested positive for COVID-19 which luckily turned out to be a false positive. Figueiredo had to fly himself to Abu Dhabi and still made weight for the next day. With a first-round submission, Figueiredo was finally a UFC champion.

Now those two instances alone could make a strong case for the champion of the year, but no, Figueiredo didn’t stop there. He took on the next challenger Alex Perez in November and Brandon Moreno just a month after that. The fight with Moreno ended in a draw after a point was deducted from Figueiredo leading to possibly another fight between the two. Figueiredo is clearly the most dominant champion of 2020 and shows no signs of slowing down heading into 2021.